


PHANTOM

by banana_chocolate97



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Phantom of the Opera, Bloodlust, Death, Forbidden Love, Light Masochism, M/M, Murder, Mystery, Police, Slaughter, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:13:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7861363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banana_chocolate97/pseuds/banana_chocolate97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People aren't supposed to intervene in things they don't know anything about.<br/>But some do.<br/>And some are even forced to when they seem to be the only person capable of revealing the true face of a monstrous phantom. <br/>But in this labyrinth where night is blind, a heart presumed dead resumes beating.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Overture

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tantrumtae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tantrumtae/gifts).



> This FF is inspired by Gaston Leroux's "Phantom of the Opera." With my own little twist. It's gifted to my dear Laura, Happy Birthday! <3 
> 
> View the story cover [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/44103893-phantom) & listen to the first chapter's theme song [here :)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhttZz9lmpk) I really recommend listening! :D

Pitch-black treetops were bashing against one another above his head, swaying threateningly as if to intensify the mortal fear freezing his veins.

Yuu was running and running as fast as his legs were taking him, running through the stony rain whipping against his face and bare legs, drops like needles cutting into his pale, bleeding skin.

His heart was only a millisecond away from bursting through his ribcage and splattering blood all over the forest path beneath his feet, he was stumbling over branches and rocks, slipped on a puddle of mud and plunked to the ground with an anxious yelp, the sound gulped away by rain and wind.

Dirt and strands of wet, black hair were sticking to his forehead, just like his drenched clothes seemed glued to his body like a second skin but he didn't care, he didn't mind any of it.

All he could think of was that he had to be quicker, fought himself up on his feet and kept running and slithering through the mushy soil while salty tears mixed with the dirt and rain swooshing across his distorted features.

His vision became blurrier with every second that passed, the path just didn't want to end although he was sure he was on the right way. He was scared, afraid that if he stopped for just a second they would be right behind him, would grab him and take him away.

Even though he was panting so hard that his lungs felt like they were about to implode, Yuu let out a relieved cry once the ruinous mansion finally appeared between the thick trunk of the firs, illuminated by the white-grey stripes of moon light piercing eerily immobile through the leaves whirling around. 

All the windows, whole and shattered ones, were dark. Wasn't he here?!

A strangled sob forced its way out of Yuu's throat, his legs working their hardest despite the burning pain caused by the bleeding scratches covering his shins. He shouldn't have wrestled his way through those thorns earlier but it had been his only option, the fastest option and now he was paying for it.

Yuu reached out for the large, oak-panelled double door as soon as he stepped foot on the pebbly driveaway, he didn't dare to glance behind him now, he was stumbling again, hardly able to keep himself upright but his shelter was only a few meters away now.

Water splashed up from the ground and down from the trees and against the ripped fabric of his jeans, slippery rocks threatening to tear him to the ground again but Yuu was fighting, he couldn't lose, not now, not when he was _**so**_ close to the desire that set his heart aflame.

His hands crashed against the dark wood and he cried as he pushed it open with all his might, the hinges squeaking a bone-piercing noise. Yuu opened his mouth to scream but all air was dashed out of his lungs when an ice-cold hand grabbed him at the collar and slammed him back against the already closed door, cold wood and stone sending a shiver down his spine.

"It's me! It's me, Yuu! Uruha- !"

But his warning came too late.

The blade of the butcher knife was already pressing against his throat and darkness took over at last.


	2. Chapter 2

_** P R E V I O U S L Y ** _

  
Takanori Matsumoto lifted a finely plucked eyebrow.

"You haven't worked on cases like these before, have you?" he asked his opponent who shook his head dully, shocked eyes focused on the photos lying in front of him on the oak desk.

 _Great, seems like I have to train him now,_ Takanori thought to himself and ran a hand through his dark locks.

"Can I continue now or do you want to keep staring at them? Please go outside if you have to puke."

Suzuki shook his head, again, and only spoke after clearing his throat. "No, I'm fine. Please continue."

Takanori sighed, whether the other could hear it or not he didn't know nor care, and started collecting the images of yanked off limbs, debris and ripped out organs. Admittedly, it was quite bloody but as sad as it sounded, Takanori was used to it by now. Suzuki though, wasn't.

"We have little to go on," he started after letting the photos disappear inside the victim's file. "As you can see, he has a thing for making ... quite a mess. Analysts say it's probably something psychic."

"So he's mentally disturbed."

Takanori tsked. _Don't jump to conclusions._

"I wouldn't call it 'disturbed.' 'Unstable' might suit him better."

It was on Suzuki now to lift an eyebrow at his new partner. "Unstable? You call a man who's been slaughtering innocent people beyond recognition _**unstable?"**_

"Yes. Because look..."

Takanori sighed, again and this time it sounded just a tad bit more irritated. Didn't this guy go to police school or something? Did that exist wherever he came from?   
The small brunet arose from his swivel chair and walked up to one of the large windows granting view on Tokyo's skyline.

One hand buried in the pocket of his suitpants, he continued.

"'Disturbed' would be if he did it for fun, for the mere sake of killing but he doesn't. You're from Hokkaido, aren't you? Rural area, petty criminals. I don't blame you for not knowing the difference. I honestly don't understand why they sent you in the first place when you're obviously lacking experience."

He was drifting off, apparently, and he noticed. Taking a deep breath, Takanori turned back around and was in no way surprised at being greeted by Suzuki's annoyed countenance.

"Anyway," he said and returned to his desk. "He's not doing it for the fun. He's working with incredible precision, he knows exactly how to use his tools, where to hide, he's not... he's not stupid. He has a goal."

Walking over to his desk, Takanori grabbed a pile of files and began searching through them. He had to find a very particular one but that was harder than expected what with Suzuki's piercing gaze focused on him.

"You sound as if you were admiring this guy. Do I have to remind you that he's a serial killer?"

Takanori's head snapped up and the sudden movement had the other detective wincing back in surprise. Why on earth had the authorities sent him someone like _**this,**_ someone so _**unexperienced?**_

"No, you don't have to remind me. You don't understand what I'm trying to say, this guy, " without noticing, he had begun to poke his desk with a finger, as if to emphasize his every word, "is unlike any murderer you've ever been after, get it into that brain of yours. He might be insane- "

"Unstable."

"Whatever! The point is, you can't just catch him. You have to get to know him, understand the way he thinks, get into his mind. I would've thought after seeing these images, you'd realize that this isn't a normal case."

Suzuki Akira's eyebrow twitched disapprovingly. He didn't like being patronized like this, at all. If Matsumoto was going to... be like this to him, he could be like this back.

"Thanks for explaining, Matsumoto, I do realize that. But since he has already killed seven people, I guess you've had enough time to 'understand the way he thinks.' Haven't you?"

Takanori's eyes narrowed. What was this, was he trying to play? How much experience did he really have in his job? Because if there was one thing that Takanori was sure of, it was that Suzuki's handsomeness wasn't going to get him anywhere. Not in this case, at least. They were a few officers of lower rank than him who were probably aiming to sleep their way up (and past him? Pah), but Takanori was hoping strongly that his new partner wasn't in for that.

He scoffed and for some reason, the sound conjured a smirk on the other's lips and as much as he hated admitting it, Takanori felt his throat getting a little dryer at the sight. He really didn't like that cockiness and he preferred concentrating on the more important things anyway.

After all the rummaging and poking he'd done during his little rant, the file he'd been seeking had fortunately found its way to the surface so he could grab and open it, turning it around for Suzuki to see.

"Like I said," Takanori continued, "he has a goal. _**This**_ is his goal."

A frown appeared on the other's face. The file before him was the one belonging to a lad with black hair and full lips, no way was he older than twenty-five, but the photos seemed to have been taken secretly, some of them blurry at the edges. However, something that all of them had in common where the vibe they were giving off, the boy's clothes leaving no doubt as to what he did for a living.

"So...," Suzuki looked up, "He's gay?"

Takanori blinked at him. Was he serious? _I just lost all hope._

It was with a heavy sigh that he closed his eyes and fell back into his swivel chair, one of his hands coming up to cover his forehead. 

"Just because he seems to be after a male prostitute doesn't mean he's gay, Suzuki. Shiroyama has been seen at every single crime scene so far and there's no doubt that instead of these seven people, _**he's**_ been the actual target." 

"But if this guy is as... professional as you claim him to be, how could he miss his target?"

Takanori's hand dropped from his temple to his chin and his glance fell upon his opponent. To his surprise, the way Suzuki was leaning over the file, inspecting it, seemed as if he was actually really thinking about this case for the first time ever since he'd stepped foot into this office. 

"I mean, let's say it was a crime of passion, disregarding whether he's... 'in love'", he described the quotation marks with his fingers, "or is a homophobe with a passion for killing gays. If he really wants him, how is it possible that he failed every single time?" 

He looked up, their eyes met. 

"How?" 

 Takanori's lips curled into a smile.   

_Ah, maybe not all of my hope._

Leaning forward, he propped both lower arms on the table. Maybe underestimating this guy had been a mistake after all, he appeared to be... eager. And Takanori liked that. 

"Well, four of the seven attacks were bomb attacks so it could be that they were meant for a larger group of people," he began explaining, unable to ban the smile from his lips even though he wasn't normally one to show delight that quickly. 

"Two took place right in front of the _Red Dollar,_ during Yuu's 'shift', the bombs were hidden in a trash bin anda newspaper dispenser." 

"Classy." 

Takanori snickered. He _**snickered.**_ "Yeah. The other two took place in two different streewalker districts that- " 

"All belong to the _Red Dollar._ And Yuu was there every single time." 

"Yes. How he found out when Yuu works where, I don't know. He's either got a mole inside the establishment or- "

"He's been watching him long enough to know his work schedule by heart." 

Fuck, now Takanori really wasn't able to hide the appreciation from his eyes anymore. 

"Exactly," he smiled. 

Suzuki Akira smiled back at him. Ah, maybe they were able to end up on the same wave length after all. 

"What about the other three attacks? I suppose knife assault or ... a sniper rifle?" 

After he'd leaned back in his chair again, Takanori shook his head with a sigh.

"No, all of them were knife assaults. I assume that with the first one," he reached for a file from the stack on the left side of his desk and opened it to show Suzuki the horrendous images, "he was waiting for Yuu to appear, dragged him into this alleyway but when he realized it wasn't Yuu as he'd expected, he lost control, became furious and did ... this." 

Suzuki's complexion went pale again but it wasn't as bad as the first time. Instead of averting his eyes, the blond detective merely gulped, reached for one of the pictures and looked at it more closely. 

"The edges of these stab wounds are quite sharp, not frayed or anything, which means he's working with weapons that are fairly functional, nothing rusty or things the like." 

"Mm," Takanori nodded, "We're thinking butcher knifes or maybe even a katana, in any case, something that's able to crash through or at least leave visible marks on the surface of bones." 

Suzuki ran a hand through his hair before he arose from his chair, Takanori's eyes following him curiously. What was he thinking about? 

"The other two attacks happened when?" the blond asked while his feet carried him to the window, taking in the position Takanori had been in just a few minutes ago. 

"Saturday last week and two days ago, Wednesday."

"Ah," was the only response given. Suzuki tapped a finger against his lips and Takanori could've sworn to hear the cogs working inside his head. "Have you talked to Shiroyama?"

"No, not yet. I've been trying to get him here but Yutaka's keeping him on a short leash." 

"Yutaka? You mean Yutaka as in the owner of the _Red Dollar?_ " 

"Mhm, he's Yuu's souteneur. But I can see why he doesn't want to let him talk to us. Every minute he spends here is a minute he could spend making money on the streets."

Takanori shrugged. It was reality and it was more than likely that Yuu himself didn't want to be interrogated either. The poor thing was probably scared to death and preferred staying under his pimp's protection. As far as Takanori knew, the relationship between Shiroyama and Yutaka was a little more special than what was normal for this kind of ... business. 

"I want him here," Suzuki suddenly spoke up, arms crossed in front of his chest as he turned around to face Takanori with a surprisingly determined countenance, "As quickly as possible." 

Takanori smiled and nodded. 

 _I think I like you, Akira._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 2 of PHANTOM :) I'm hoping you enjoyed it, kudos, votes & (constructive!) criticsm is always welcome :)   
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuu knows something's lingering in the darkness.

"Listen young boy- "

"I'm not a young boy anymore!"

"You're quite younger than me so you are."

"I've probably fucked more men than you, _**detective**_ , so I'm really doubting you'd want to call me that."

"How did you get the idea I fuck men?"

"I'm a sex worker, don't you think I recognize a possible customer if I see one?"  
  


Akira's nasal wings billowed and as a chuckle resounded from the corner, he glared at the person it belonged to.

Lifting his hands in defense, Takanori pressed his lips together to prevent himself from making any further noise.

It'd been twenty minutes and every single one of them had been filled with the two of them throwing insults and snappish comments at each other. If only he had some popcorn to munch away on while watching!

Suzuki sighed and it was clearly in frustration. They needed information so bad but Yuu seemed anything but willing to talk about the incidents that had occurred.

"I hope you're aware of the time you're wasting."

Yuu had his arms crossed in front of his chest and his countenance bore witness to how stubborn he was.

"It wouldn't be wasted if only you told us what you know." 

"I don't know a single fucking thing!" 

Takanori's eyes snapped up from his finger nails, reason being the loud sound of Suzuki's palm slamming down onto his desk. 

"Why does he want you so bad, Shiroyama?!" he exclaimed demandingly and Yuu's reaction was exactly what Takanori had expected. 

The young man shot up from his chair, so quickly in fact that it fell over, and confusion and anger were written all over his face as he started gesticulating wildly. 

"I have no idea, for God's sake!! Do you think he killed all of these people and then sent me a card saying he's sorry for bombing the wrong ones and he'll try again next week?!"

Akira's eyes narrowed dangerously at the other's last words. "What?" 

Shiroyama though just groaned in annoyance, turning away and walking past the chair with his arm crossed (without picking it up of course). "That was a joke. I'm sorry but I don't actually know his bombing-murder-attempts-schedule." 

Takanori sighed. 

"Alright gentlemen," he got their attention with just those two words, getting up from the couch he was sitting on, "I don't think we're getting anywhere if you keep insulting each other. Yuu, look." 

The raven's browns twitched at that. He wasn't used to being called by his real forename by anybody other than Yutaka. With a suspicious glance, he watched the smaller of the two detectives walk up to the desk, propping himself on it with a palm. 

"I know you don't feel safe, especially because Yutaka's not around. I know you're scared, you don't have to hide it." 

"I'm not hiding any- " 

"Yes, you are," Akira interrupted him with a stern glance but all he earned in response was Yuu scoffing.

_Stubborn brat._

Takanori took it on himself to act as the voice of reason again.

"Listen, Yuu. We're not blaming you for anything and we don't accuse you of anything either. All we want to know is whether you can think of anybody who would want to harm you like this so we can protect you. Do you have enemies? Or does Yutaka?"

Yuu's jaw tensed barely noticeably. Aha. Now Takanori kept his eyes glued to him.

"He's a pimp, are you kidding me? Of course he's got enemies." 

Before Takanori could answer, Suzuki was already stepping around his desk to put the chair back in an upright position. He was face to face with the young raven when he lifted his head, maybe even a little bit too close, Takanori thought. 

"Then who are those enemies?" 

Was that fear on Yuu's face? Takanori found it astonishing how he didn't back away, despite Suzuki's (more or less) intimidating glance. 

Yuu swallowed and averted his eyes before uttering a sigh. "Probably every pimp of every establishment that makes less profit than us." 

"Which means a lot," Akira concluded. "Because you're 'establishment' is about the richest in the city, isn't it?" 

A bitter scoff came from the other's mouth and that answer enough. His lips, by the way, had a very enticing shape indeed but Akira blinked those thoughts away. As he locked eyes with his colleague, he noticed that Takanori's expression had become more thoughtful as well. 

After all, Akira had been a bit harsh towards the young male, hadn't he? They couldn't forget that Yuu knew that a brutal murderer was after him and that he was scared for his life. 

"Can you think of anybody specifically?" 

Takanori's voice cut through the rather tensed feeling silence but where they had thought that Yuu was going to be more obliging after he'd seemed to calm down a little, they realized they were wrong.

"No, I can't!" he exclaimed angrily, threw both his arms into the air and as much as Akira tried, he couldn't stop his glance from quickly flying down, scanning the pale skin of Yuu's stomach and the black diamond dangling from his navel. 

Fuck. 

"We're not even allowed to talk to anybody other than  _Red Dollar_ staff or the men paying for us so _**again,**_ you're literally wasting your time, detectives." 

The latter two sighed in unison and the longer Yuu looked at them the more he got the impression that they didn't really... go together. Suzuki was so straightforward, harsh almost whereas Matsumoto was as calm as could be, the exact opposite of his colleague. Maybe they had just recently begun working together? 

Ugh whatever, it wasn't like that was important to Yuu anyway. 

"Can I go now?" he asked as his glance urgently darted back and forth between the two older men. 

Running a hand through his brown locks, Takanori cleared his throat and then let a friendly smile appear on his face. He felt nowhere as calm as his outwards appearance probably made it seem. 

"Of course," he replied and stepped aside from where he had inconspicuously, all this time, been blocking the door. You never knew, right? 

Suzuki clearly wanted to object but he was only a newbie here after all and consequently, it was an easy thing for Takanori to hush him with just a glimpse. 

They watched as Yuu's shoulders fell in relief and he quickly walked over to get his jacket from the coat rack beside the door. 

"We know how to contact you for any further questions, okay?" 

Yuu spat out his answer instantly, "Yeah, you don't have to remind me that I'm being watched now, thank you very much." 

Akira's eyes widened. Wow, you'd think people would be grateful for being protected from a murderer? 

"Excu- "

"Hush, Suzuki. Just let him go." 

  Yuu was already gone. 

°°°

"I've set you up with Ishihara tonight at nine," were the first words that greeted him as he stepped into Yutaka's office. As usual, the thick red curtains were drawn to a close and the lamps in the corner of the room and the MacBook sitting atop his desk were the only light illuminating his souteneur's facial features. 

And Yuu wasn't amused about the news at all. 

"Ishihara, really?" he questioned with an unsatisfied swoop to his lips. "I've been with him only three days ago, why would you change my schedule just for him?" 

Ishihara was a nice man, no doubt good-looking and just a few years older than him, yet Yuu couldn't find himself excited about having to go back into that cheap cubbyhole of his. Admittedly, he was used to a bit more luxury by now. 

Yutaka looked up from his laptop. "What can I say, he seems addicted to you." 

It was with a scoff that Yuu dumped his jacket on a nearby armchair and then plonked down on one of the chairs in front of Yutaka's desk. 

"Nah, don't lie, he's just paying twice the amount, isn't he?" 

Yutaka smirked. "More than twice, Yuu." 

"Oh?" 

Yuu's head perked up. That meant there was a huge payrise coming in for him too, right? Well, in that case... 

Yutaka soon changed the topic towards more serious business and of course Yuu had to provide all the details about his interrogation. He couldn't quite tell whether Yutaka was only worried about him because he was one of the most prized workers here or because he cared about him on a personal level but either way was fine with him as long as he had a place to live. 

And of course Yutaka treated him differently than he did the other women and men working for him so Yuu was grateful for every little bit of more freedom he received. It wasn't because they had some kind of romantic connection or because Yuu had been "saved" by him as you could read in so many dilapidated novels packed full with clichées. 

Maybe it was because Yuu was one of the youngest here and it incited Yutaka's protective instinct. 

_And of course it's only thanks to that protective instinct that I have my own apartment to live in that's being paid for every month. Or that I own these beautiful 18 carat gold piercings so I don't have to freeze. Or that I'm the boss' little bitch, quite literally. Has nothing to do with him trying to keep me for as long as possible so I can make money for him for as long as I can walk. Haha._

 "Come to my place once you're done with Ishihara, okay?" Yutaka purred next to his ear, an hour later while Yuu was slipping into his jacket. Something else was slipping over his hipbone too but he didn't pay it much mind. 

"Are you serious?" he lifted an eyebrow as he turned around to face the other. "There's a guy out there trying to bomb me into pieces, I don't think I'm keen on walking through half the city, at night, just because you're horny, Yutaka." 

The older man hummed, as if he was contemplating whether to accept that as an excuse or not, but as he lifted a hand to grasp Yuu's chin between his fingers, his grip told Yuu that he'd already decided. His voice was eerily calm as he spoke. 

"Then I'll just get two of the security guys to go with you and they'll escort you safely through the city," he said and the way his eyes sparkled darkly made Yuu swallow. There was no room for backtalk. 

"I gave you ninety minutes with Ishihara as usual so I expect you at eleven." 

Yuu exhaled slowly and showed off one of his most brilliant smiles. One that looked like _Oh damn, I can't wait_ but inwardly said something entirely different. 

"Great," he sang happily and made sure to brush his palm over Yutaka's chest extra slowly. "I'll see you then."  

Yutaka only nodded and Yuu took that as his permission to leave. Their eyes met one more time, Yutaka's warning  _Don't fail me_ as they always did. He knew that Yuu would never dare anyway. 

Leaving the Red Dollar through the back entrance, Yuu wrapped his jacket a little tighter around his body. His jeans were of a thin material so he could still feel the cold wind seeping through the fabric and creeping over his skin. It was cold for September. 

A black limousine was parked right next to the door and as he looked closer he could see the small sticker attacked to its tail. The small number 86 was printed on it so Yuu knew right away: This was for one of the older girls' appointment. 

Some customers prepared to pick up and drop off their men and ladies here where the people passing by on the main street were unable to see. Usually, those type of customers were also the type to pay with cash so that was even better. 

Upon lighting himself a cigarette, Yuu could see the driver's eyes jumping up upon hearing the deep clonk of the steel door falling close. They nodded at each other briefly before Yuu made his way down the alleyway and towards the bus station. 

He was wondering whether detectives were around to watch him, whether they whispered to each other about how _"fucking hot"_ he was but _"too young, sadly."_ But he knew out of experience that he wasn't too young for literally anyone. 

Yuu pushed his scard higher up around his chin. The feeling of being watched was something he hated to the core and it had only gotten worse during the last few weeks, what with the growing insecurity slowly taking over his being. 

What if he was right here right now? Watching him from across the street? Hidden somwhere between the bushes and trees of the park that was located opposite of the bus stop.

The longer Yuu stared into the darkness beyond the flickering streetlights, the clearer his eyes seemed to carve out the silhouette of a man sitting on thick branch of a sakura tree but when he blinked, it was gone. God, he was getting paranoid already. 

His bus arrived on time for a change and after taking a seat, running a hand over his face and taking a deep breath he was already feeling a bit better. He had to pull himself together! He had a customer tonight, one that paid **_so_** well Yuu just couldn't risk fucking it up. In that case, it seemed like he had to rely on Yutaka and the police to protect him.

A small, defeated sigh slipped from his lips and his forehead soon made contact with the cool glass. Nothing against a little nap... 

°°° 

_He could almost smell him, that was how close he was._

_His flesh, taut and heated. His breath, accelerated the way it usually was just before a moan would escape those rosy, lucious lips. His fear, intoxicating and bittersweet._

_The closest he'd ever come so far._

_Such a temptation, like adrenaline to his veins that made him grip the wood beneath him firmer._

_He was so, so  h u n g r y._

_"Soon, my little raven."_

_He smiled as their eyes met through the darkness. Of course he couldn't be seen, had hidden himself way too well, but the connection was there. Fully established. He was already his, he knew._

_"Soon."  
°°°_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait!   
> I'm sort of trying to go for a slightly different writing style here compared to MOACLL.. Don't know if it's obvious but I'm trying to work on it! 
> 
> Also, to let you know, I don't dig Seme!Kai. Not at all. But because Aoi and Ruki are the only bottoms in this fic (and making Ruki a top is absolutely (even more) IMPOSSIBLE for me) I have to give Kai a Seme role. So yeah, I'll give my best to picture him as best as possible but I can't promise anything, haha :)   
> And sorry it's kinda short? :')
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated as always! :)   
> Thanks for reading :)


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